Santa Monica’s rollin’ in the lobster

If you don’t use social media I feel bad for you. Not because it’s a great place to creep on people, post pictures of your cat, or make yourself look cooler than you really are, but because of all the random stuff floating around for you to fill your brain with. Most of it is superfluous, but every once in a while there’s a link, picture or nugget of information that you can actually use.

Not so long ago a friend of mine Tweeted a photograph of a particularly tasty looking lobster roll from Santa Monica Seafood. Just using the camera on his iPhone he was able to frame the sandwich with the entire background completely blacked out for what I imagine was some sort of dramatic effect. The result was a really good picture of an already photogenic lobster roll that in no time went viral. Santa Monica Seafood posted the pic on their Facebook page, likes and comments ensued, and once it came across my news feed I was instantly out the door and en route to get one as fast as you could say California king salmon!

I often approach seafood with a bit of apprehension. It is, after all, very different from all the other animals we eat. As wrong as it may seem, cows, chickens and pigs are basically meat plants mostly grown in government-subsidized pens. Aside from the farm-raised variety, seafood comes from the ocean and surprise, surprise, us humans can’t get enough of our seafaring friends and are wiping out populations of all the good stuff. The mere look of a lobster is proof that humans will try and eat anything. Santa Monica Seafood states that they are committed to responsible, sustainable sourcing and therefor peace of mind remains.

Now that we got the moral rant out of the way, it’s time to delve into the lobster roll. This sandwich is sans the filler and essentially all lobster. A light dressing of lemony aioli and the sprinkling of chives brighten the flavors, add bits of color and a little texture. There is no better vessel to accommodate such decadence than a lightly-toasted plain, white hot-dog bun. This is the best lobster roll in Santa Monica. (However, if Santa Monica Seafood’s lobster roll is the Cadillac, Blue Plate Oysterette’s version is the Lincoln). Pair it with a nice Chablis and you have yourself a winning hand.

Seating at Santa Monica Seafood is limited and the secret is out so expect moderate crowds, especially during peak hours. The display cases are beautiful and you will be hard-pressed not to walk out of there with a handful of shallots and their catch of the day.

Santa Monica Seafood is situated next to other eating and drinking hot spots like Huckleberry, El Cholo, JP’s and Rustic Canyon on what a friend of mine has referred to as the “fillet” of Wilshire Boulevard. Exploring the area is recommended. Trying the lobster roll at Santa Monica Seafood is wholeheartedly insisted!

If you go

Santa Monica Seafood

1000 Wilshire Blvd.

Santa Monica, Calif.

90401

(310) 393-5244

www.santamonicaseafood.com/

MICHAEL can be seen riding around town on his bike burning calories so he can eat more food, or on CityTV hosting his own show, “Tour de Feast.” To reach him visit his website at tourde-feast.net or follow him on Twitter @TourDeFeastSM.